Pad Thai

 

Ingredients:

12 oz Rice Noodles

4 chicken breast or the equivalent in chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces

1 can bean sprouts, drained

4 eggs

oil for wok, toasted sesame oil is preferred but any oil will work

2 c broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

2 c cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

1 basket of mushrooms, sliced

 * you could also add other veggies, chop into bite size pieces (carrots, snow peas, bok choy)

    Garnish:

    4 green onions, sliced

    1 c peanuts, chopped 

    1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed and chopped

    1 large lime, cut into wedges

    additional soy sauce, siracha and/or oyster sauce or fish sauce

    Sauce Ingredients:

    1/2 c soy sauce

    2 Tbsp sriracha, more if you want it spicier

    1/4 c fresh lime juice

    1/4 c oil

    1/4 c packed brown sugar, more if you put too much sriracha in (ha!)

You could make this a vegetarian dish, a seafood dish, a chicken dish, a beef dish, or any sort of combination.  I like to do veggies, chicken and shrimp.

Start by prepping all of my ingredients, washing, chopping/slicing, and mixing up the sauce. 

Combine all of the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until brown sugar has dissolved. Keep the whisk handy as you will want to whisk again before adding it in, towards the very end of the recipe.

Prep lime wedges, cilantro and green onions, and peanuts.  Save these for garnishing your individual plate.

Add a small amount of oil to a wok.  Add mushrooms.  Stir fry the mushrooms for 2-3 minuets, then set aside in a bowl or plate.  

Add a bit more of oil and add in broccoli and cauliflower.  Stir fry until cauliflower get a little browned, about 3-5 minuets.  Then set aside with the mushrooms.

Prepare noodles as directed on package in a medium size pot. Once they have reached the desired tenderness, drain and rinse in cold water.

While noodles are cooking, add a small amount of oil to wok, adding chicken.  Stir fry the chicken, cut a piece in half to confirm the center is no longer pink.  Once there is no pink, add the chicken to the veggie mixture. 

Add a small amount of oil to the wok and scramble the eggs.

Once eggs are scrambled, add bean sprouts, chicken, veggies back into the wok and give a good toss to combine.  Add in noodles and sauce, tossing again to combine.  Once everything is added, let cook for about 5 minuets to heat everything together, tossing now and then to make sure things do not stick to the wok bottom.

Once everything has been heated, serve!

Don't forget to add your garnishes to your individual plate, adding more sauces if you want it more spicier or more salty!

Buffalo Wild Wing Parmesan Garlic Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
1 Bottle Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic Sauce

1 Bottle Half & Half

1 Block of Cream Cheese

1 Bag of Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 Box of Farfalle Pasta

3-4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts or the equivalent in Chicken Tenders

Black Pepper, measure with your heart

Slap Ya Mama Seasoning, measure with your heart

Lining your crockpot with a plastic liner saves on clean up with this recipe and highly recommended.

Add Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic sauce to your crockpot.

Add a small amount of Half & Half to the same bottle and add cover back on.  Shake to get as much of the sauce out of the bottle, adding to the crockpot.  Then fill the bottle with Half & Half and add to the crockpot.

Give the sauce a stir.

Cut chicken breast or tenders into bite size pieces, and also chop up the brick of cream cheese into pieces.

Add Slap Ya Mama and Pepper to the chicken.  

Add the parmesan cheese to the crockpot along with the cream cheese and give it a stir.

Add the seasoned chicken to the crockpot and give it yet another stir, making sure that all of the chicken is coded with the sauce.

Cook on low for 5 hours, or 2 hours on high, stirring occasionally.  Make sure to get allllll the way to the bottom and around allllll the edges or you may end up with some scorched sauce.

At the 5-hour or 2-hour mark, take out a piece of chicken and test to make sure there is no pink center.  Once there is no pink in a cut piece of chicken, boil your water and make pasta as directed on the box.  

Once your pasta is done to your preferred tenderness, drain.  Add pasta to crockpot and stir. 

Once combined, turn crockpot off and serve.  I served ours with a side of steamed broccoli.

This dish has sooooo much flavor and was instantly put on the "must make again" list.  Next time I may also sauté some button mushrooms to add to your individual bowl and make some oven rolls.

Note: You can purchase the BBW sauce at any location, but I've also found it recently at my local Menards for way cheaper.  I've also heard that it can be found at Target, and for those of you in Wisconsin that they have it at Woodman's.  

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 lb ground chicken

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded or finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

8 oz water chestnuts, diced and drained

4 scallions, whites and greens, chopped

1 large head of lettuce, leaves separated

In a small bowl, combine hoisin, soy sauce and 1/3 cup water.

Chopped, shred or mince the carrot, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts and scallions.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and chicken.  Break up the chicken as it cooks until browned, about 5-7 minuets.

Add in water chestnuts. 

Add in carrots and remaining tablespoon of oil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 minuets.

 Add in garlic, ginger and scallion whites.  Cook for an additional 2 minuets.  Stir in hoisin sauce.  Continue to cook until sauce thickens, about 2 additional minuets.

To serve, place some of the chicken mixture in a lettuce leaf and top with the scallion greens.

Arendt's Hot Beef aka Lick the Air Beef

1 (4-5lb) roast (rolled rump or chuck)

2 large yellow onions or 4 small yellow onions quartered

1 (6oz) bottle of soy sauce

pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a large crock pot on high for 8-10 hours if using frozen meat, and 6 hours on high of fresh meat.  

When you come home from a long day of work you will want to lick the air it will smell soooooooooo good!

Mash with potato masher or Pampered Chef Mix ‘N Chop.  Remove any fatty pieces.

 Serve on buns and reminisce on Arendt's Meat Market's Hot Beef from back in the day. Num!

Turkey Casserole

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of sweet peas (drained)
1 cup of chopped turkey (bite size pieces)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 bag of large egg noodles
crushed pepper to taste

 

Start by boiling water on stove top.  Add egg noddles and let cook until desired firmness.

In another skillet saute onion and pepper.  Add turkey and mix.  Heat thoroughly.

Put egg noodles into a large microwaveable casserole dish.

Add turkey mixture to noodles.

Stir mixture, noodles and cream of chicken soup together.

Add peas and mix gently.

Toss in the microwave on high for 30 minuets.  Serve with wheat bread and butter... NUM!

Crockpot Pot Roast

Ingredients:1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut in half
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 medium onions (about 3/4 pound), quartered
1 (16-ounce) package baby carrots
2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water

Place roast, soy sauce, and garlic in a large ziplock plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Boil beef broth in a small saucepan; add mushrooms. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a colander over a bowl, saving broth mixture.

Remove roast from bag, saving marinade. Sprinkle roast with pepper, gently pressing pepper into roast. Combine reserved marinade, mushroom broth mixture, and tomato paste; stir well, and set aside.

Place mushrooms, onion, carrot and potato in a 6-quart crockpot; toss gently.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast, browing well on all sides. Place roast over vegetables in crockpot.

Pour tomato paste mixture into skillet, scraping to loosen browned bits. Pour tomato paste mixture over roast and vegetables.

Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 8 hours or until roast is tender. 

Place roast and vegetables on a serving platter; keep warm. Reserve liquid in crockpot; increase to high-heat setting.

Place flour in a small bowl. Gradually add water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add flour mixture to liquid in crockpot. Cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Serve gravy with roast and vegetables.